The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-14
POPULAR SCIENCE.

Profs. Trowbridge and Hutchins, OF
Harvard college, report that their extern
sive and careful researches tend to dls-
prove the view that oxygen exists in any
part of the sun.
Prof. Thomas Carnelly and Mrs.
Holdam of O college at Dundee have
been investigating sewer DIR, and report
that it averages as pure, so far as germs
are concerned, as the air in ordinary
houses.
A Pittsburg paper describes a new
telephone on exhibition in that city that
does away with the necessity of speak
ing. A sensitive plate ''presses against
the larynx and glands of the neck, and
rs the jaws are moved in conversation
the motion sends the words along the
wire as distinctly as the telephone now
in use."
Mr.. W. Mattieu Williams thinks that
the instinct which guides the swallow
southwark in autumn is probably OF
very practical and unpoetic kind. Its
food is chiefly flying insects, whose
development ceases with the advance OF
cold from the North, and in migration
the bird is merely following its retreat
ing food supply.
DR.. H. Lane, of Portland, Oregon, be-
gan digging large well some time ago
and it promised to furnish an unlimited
supply of cold water. Indeed the water
came so fast that one pump could not
keep it out of the way of the workmen,
and q second was to be put in. But in
one night the temperature Of the water
changed, and in the morning clouds OF
steam rolled up from the well, which
was found to contain about twenty-five
feet of water almost boiling hot. AT
last accounts the temperature had not
lowered.
During midsummer in Northern Alas
ka, according to C. recent traveller, the
sun shines twenty-five hours out OF the
twcnty-four, and on the high mountain
peaks for period of several days in June
it is not entirely out of sight during the
twenty-four hours. In July and August
the weather becomes very warm. After
this time the days gradually shorten
until the sun shines but four hours out
of the twenty-four, but at this period
the aurora is exceedingly intense and
helps very materially in dispelling the
darkness.
At q recent meeting OF the Academy Of
Natural Sciences the president, DR.. Leidy,
stated that he had recently received
for examination from the Geographical
Survey in Washington collection OF
homes from ten miles east of Archer, Levy
county, Florida. The specimens are
generally much broken, although the
original texture is mostly preserved and
they show no trace of being rolled or
water worn. They consist chiefly of the
remains of rhinoceros, mastodon and
llama. A new species OF horse was also
indicated by teeth aud ankle bones, for
which the name Hippotherium plicatils
was proposed. 81
From various experiments made to de.
terlnine the force and effect of terrestrial
contraction it has been calculated that
mass of sandstone mile in thickness,
raised in temperature some 200 degrees
Farcnheit, would have its upper surface
elevated ten feet; and that a portion OF
the earths crust fifty miles thick, raised
GOO to 800 degrees, might produce an
elevation of 1000 to $500 feet; cooling
again would reverse the result; such
cooling having actually taken place, and
the contraction has given the earth its ir-
regular surface and gigantic mountain
wrinkles, and that the process is still go
inc on frequent evidence is thought to
be afforded in earthquake phenomena.
According to this theory, the earth's
shrinkage, in changing to solid form,
must have been much greater, as the
common minerals lose from 3 to II per
cent. in hardening from melted state.